Bayern Rundfahrt – Heinrich Haussler «It’s a big relief»

“He needed that!” Marcello Albasini, the team’s directeur sportif along with Kjell Carlström at the Tour of Bavaria, summarized the benefits for Heinrich Haussler’s victory in the first stage which ran under terrible weather conditions.

Despite having brought a team made up mostly of climbers, IAM Cycling set the tone thanks to the cohesive and effective work of their group to control the race in the final kilometers.  Coming up to the finish line, Roger Kluge, who snagged fifth on the stage for himself, was responsible for dropping his Australian teammate in the perfect position to come away with the stage win.

This is a victory that puts an end to the Haussler’s long dry patch.  Dressed in all yellow, IAM Cycling’s current race leader explained how his day went so well in spite of the rainy skies.

“This is may be fate because I won my last race on the final stage of the Tour of Bavaria in 2013, in Nuremberg on May 26^th.  It’s a relief to win because I had to ask myself many questions during the time in between these two victories.  After I fractured my hip during the Tour of Switzerland last season, I worked hard to get back to my pre-crash level before the end of the season.  But I was never able to secure a victory, and then after the winter break I never found the same opportunity.”   

Hampered by illness during the spring classics, Heinrich Haussler (30 years old) regained his health and fitness by spending time at altitude in Engadine in the Swiss Alps.  For this win, which is the 15^th of his career, Haussler, who is a sprinter-puncher, mentally prepared himself for it all day.

“I was motivated because I have worked so hard to get back to my best.  The weather was rotten and we had to fight against the wind, rain and cold.  On the last lap of the circuit, I thought there was a good shot to go for the win.  I had avoided all the crashes and dangers.  Everyone was riding full-out, and we managed to position ourselves well.  In the last kilometer, Roger (Kluge) moved forward and placed me in a perfect position.  It was truly a magnificent piece of work, and I then managed to finish it off well.”